


Honeyed Blood

by The_PrincessCat



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, M/M, Rough Sex, Sex, Vampire Sex, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_PrincessCat/pseuds/The_PrincessCat
Summary: For 200 years Ignis has been living a solitary life. He has never wanted anything more than to just keep on living. This is until one night he ran across a delicious smelling human who he can't stop thinking about.  Will this man be his downfall or will the vampire council have something to say about this man that will change everything? Is Gladio really just a regular human or is there something more to him?
Relationships: Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy XV)/Ardyn Izunia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Titus Drautos | Glauca/Cor Leonis
Comments: 12
Kudos: 23
Collections: Halloween Big Bang FF XV 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Dying had been one of the easiest things that Ignis had ever done. The decision hadn’t been his to make, and the life he had lived had offered no benefits. He had enlisted in the British Army, he was not hungry for victory, but the prospect of escaping the life he lived was what was enticing, rather than being persecuted by his own people. If he was going to live this miserable life, let it mean something to someone. 

He was sent over the ocean and onto the soil of a new land. Ignis hadn’t been a good fighter, and he had taken an early injury, a bayonet to the gut. As he lay in the tent, he was sure he was dying. The pain was excruciating, and he still hadn’t done anything in his life that had meant anything. 

The sounds of fighting became background noise, as he listened to those around him resign to his fate. They were going to let him die. The pain faded away, and as he closed his eyes, Ignis realized: dying was easier than living. 

What he hadn’t expected was to wake, a fever rampaging through his body. The pain in his stomach had disappeared, and as he clutched where the wound had been, it was gone. The vampire who had made him went by the name of Ardyn. He had taken other boys, dead or dying and turned them. He was old, older than most of the known vampires. 

Out of the dozens of soldiers Ardyn had taken, only a small handful made it through the transformation. And the hunger that had come with this new change had been horrible. He had fed, and he found that this was also easy. However, the first death had horrified him. When he had returned to himself, he had vowed that he would never kill again. 

Many vampires chose to kill when they fed. Ignis knew this was acceptable to his fellow vampires. In truth, his own way was more dangerous. Yet, while letting them survive made him feel more human, it also gave him a thrill he had never known before. If there wasn’t a chance of surviving, what would be the point of living? He would give that to them.

Ardyn had abandoned all those he had created, and instead of returning to the war or anything he had remembered, Ignis started a new life. A life of solitude. Ignis preferred this. His ideology was stranger than most and being in the company of others tended to pervert this. 

A hundred years passed quickly. Times changed, and with them so too did Ignis. He moved around, creating a new life in a different place. Yet, every so often, Ignis would find himself attracted to the ocean and the place of his second birth. After two hundred years time, life and death lost all meaning. 

The year was 1983, and Ignis had recently returned to Virginia. It was once again time for a feeding, and Ignis could feel the way his energy depleted as his hunger grew. With the hunger came another, more carnal desire. 

Ignis stared at himself in the mirror, preparing himself for what was to come next. Straw blond hair stood perfectly erect, not a single of the short hairs stood out of place. His slender gloved fingers pressed the oval browline glasses to his face. A pressed purple leopard print button up, which just so happened to be one of his favorites, was tucked into a pair of slim fit black pants. He had shined his shoes, and even so, Ignis still felt as if he was massively underprepared. 

The plan was always the same, and yet, he felt a slight nervousness washing over him. “Ignis. Get a grip. You’ll do fine.” The British accent, mostly adopted, brought noise to the otherwise silent room.

With that, the man left, locking his flat behind him and tucking the single key into his front pocket. 

The night was cool, the evening wind pushing a crumpled newspaper down the street. The city he had remembered over the decades had become filthy. Yet, something about the city had him tied here. Perhaps the familiarity, the routine, the ease of everything. 

The streets were relatively empty, even for a Tuesday Night. Ignis didn’t need to look around to know that no one was around. The faint rustling of leaves and stray refuse along with the tiny skittering of small feet were the only noises the man heard. It was quieter than the dead. 

The venue of choice was a short walk from Ignis’s flat, and was frequently full of the desperate. Tonight was no different than any other night. A single man stood at the entryway, a bored expression on his countenance. He nodded ever so slightly to Ignis as he passed the doorframe, pressing the door open as he did so. 

The interior of the establishment was clean, or at least clean enough for Ignis’s standards. The music was soft, playing a low background hum to the energy that was bouncing around the room. 

Being undead, Ignis was able to sense things above and beyond a human's five senses. Lust had a smell, a taste and an energy to it. It was electrifying and near as satisfying as feeding. 

Twelve measured steps to the bar, the same seat he always sat in with the same bartender. This seat gave him the perfect view of the establishment while he drank his inebriant of choice. It took a great deal to get him intoxicated, but Ignis still did have a fondness for the smell of most liquor. 

Green eyes like morning grass scanned the open area of the taproom, only four patrons tonight. It was slim pickings, but it would have to do. When the barkeep approached, he already had both glass and a bottle of liquor in his hands. A single cube was made to float in the amber liquid, the words coming although the choice had long since been made. “Same as always?”

“Yes, thank you.” Ignis’s eyes moved to the older gentlemen pouring the libation. He appeared to be in his late fifties, age wearing at the edges of his eyes and face. The gray that speckled about his full head of hair had multiplied since Ignis had been coming to this haunt. The man nodded with a slight smile as he moved away and back down the bar. Ignis’s routine had been memorized and the dance the two of them played was memorized by both partners. Ignis didn’t care, and neither did the barman. Ignis always tipped well. 

Tenderly, Ignis reached for the glass, his hand swirling the honeyed liquid about in the glass before bringing the freshly stirred scents to the top. Strong chocolate notes, warm, with hints of oak, and perhaps this scent was so amazing to Ignis because it reminded him fondly of coffee. 

As the edge of the glass met his lips, all of Ignis’s senses were disrupted almost immediately. 

“I heard about this place from a guy at work. Said it was pretty cool!” The voice was like a wrecking ball, bowling through the silence and the serene. Ignis’s gaze immediately followed the sound to the man it came from. 

Standing tall, above his two friends, was an athletically built man. He wore a tank top, seemingly unaware of the cool temperatures outside. A leather jacket was draped over one arm, but it was the shoulders and arms that held Ignis’s attention. On each rather muscular biceps, and further down than his eyes were allowed to see, were bold tattoos of what he could only guess to be the wings of a bird. 

The smell was more intoxicating to his senses than any drink ever had been. The sweet, almost earthy scent, seemed to mingle with the whiskey in his glass as the mystery man moved. Ignis inhaled sharply as he allowed some of the liquid in the cup to tip down his throat. His eyes, however, continued to take in the trio before him. 

“Dude. It looks dead.” Green eyes moved down to a shorter man, black hair and dressed to match. He was smaller, skinnier, and far more beautiful than the first. His hands were shoved into the front of his jeans as his icy blue eyes looked over the establishment. 

“Ya know, I bet they got themed nights and stuff!” The last of the trio was slightly shorter than the black haired companion, a bold yellow head of hair styled in a gravity defying manner. Unlike his two companions, the shortest of the trio was dressed in more color, and even sported what appeared to be a rainbow bracelet upon his right wrist. 

“Well,” The tall, muscular man shrugged, heading to the bar near where Ignis sat. “We're here, let's drink!”

Every eye in the bar was glued on the three new-comers as they situated themselves at the long counter. It made Ignis’s gaze that much less noticeable. The scent of this mystery man who had captured all his attention was almost overwhelming. 

Tearing his eyes from the group, he looked into the amber liquid as the barkeep moved over to them. “What’s your poison?” 

Ignis knew he shouldn’t be so invasive into these gentlemen’s evening, but something was pulling him in, and who was he to stop it? 

“Best IPA on tap.” The way the deep baritone came from such full, pouty lips had Ignis shifting in his seat. Was he a pubescent boy?

“Screwdriver!” The blond piped up followed by, “I dunno. Same.” 

Ignis brought the glass to his lips once more, inhaling the sweet scent of his whiskey to drown out the others bombarding him from every direction. The smooth, cool liquid danced around his pallet before it slid down his throat. 

The glass found the solid mahogany counter with a soft thud. Ignis chanced a look over at the trio only to find a pair of amber eyes staring straight at him. 

Time seemed to cease to exist as their eyes met. Ignis’s breath hitched in his throat before being lost in the whiskey colored eyes. His features were perfect; strong jaw with a neat line of hair framing it to perfection and wide nose centered above plump lips. 

They held their gaze for what felt like an eternity. However, as the song changed, the short blond nudged the unnamed adonis and his attention was immediately pulled away. Green eyes shifted immediately to his glass, his mind racing as it attempted to keep up with his body. Ignis took another long drink of the sweet liquor, hoping beyond all wishes that he could get and stay intoxicated. 

A set of laughs pulled Ignis’s attention back up from the drink to where, flabbergasted to find, the tall man was actually walking towards him. Never in a hundred years had someone he had been interested in decided to approach him. Ignis cleared his throat and put on his most stoic face as the other man sat down directly next to him. 

“Name’s Gladio.” A smile that could melt him down to his very core flashed across the man’s beautiful features. An ache rippled across his skin, quickly bolting downwards as he caught his breath in his chest. He swallowed as he made sure his composure was complete before he continued. 

“Ignis.” He offered a smile, losing himself only briefly in the amber eyes. “It is a pleasure.” 

“You think I could buy you a drink?” 

More times than Ignis could count, he had been the one on the asking side of things. It was easy, and the script he had was perfect. No one had ever denied him a drink. As a vampire, he had the ability to use powers that made feeding easier, though he had never needed to resort to that to get a man alone. He had a type, prefering to go for the well built and handsome. Gladio fit his type to every letter and specification. 

“I would rather enjoy that. However, your friends might not take so kindly to your abandonment.” Ignis’s accent was thick upon his words. 

“They'll be fine. They're good at self entertaining.” Gladio smirked the smile that seemed to stir up things deep inside Ignis that he had once believed long dead. The heart he had long ago abandoned ached for something that seemed very foreign to the man. Through all the routine, the day to day of a thousand days, this was new and exciting, and Ignis was hooked. 

“Your confidence is refreshing.” Ignis brought the remains of his drink back to his lip, the edges curling in a smile. 

“I get that a lot.” The part that Ignis enjoyed the most was the fact that Gladio didn’t falter even once. His gaze remained steady, his smile never wavered. The sheer predatorial way he went about his body language had Ignis on edge, and not in an undesirable way. 

“Well,” Ignis spoke, as he had forgotten everything around him. The bar, the barkeep, even this man’s friends. Everything had melted away into nothing as he was absorbed entirely into the situation. “I think it is something I could surely get used to.” 

Ignis felt the edges of his lips curl upwards as he finished the last of his drink, and Gladio ordered them another round. Ignis briefly let his eyes wander from the other man, looking for the two men he had entered with. They seemed to have vanished and left no trace of their existence behind. 

“So, what is it that you do? Why haven’t I seen you around before?” Ignis’s attention was immediately pulled back to the other man, as if it had never left. 

“I am a chef at Gerad Morgan’s. I work evenings and hardly have time to enjoy myself.” The moment he said this, he instantly regretted it. Ignis had never once divulged such sensitive information to his prey. He wanted to always remain as under the radar as possible. As devastating as it was, the likelihood that he would now need to quit his job was high. “What do you do?”

There was a soft chuckle from Gladio, and Ignis found that the noise warmed him from the inside out. A burning started growing deep within him, something that he had never felt the likes of. 

“I am a steel worker.” Gladio flexed his muscles under his shirt, and Ignis felt his body react. Swallowing hard, he let a soft smile curl his harp shaped lips. 

“That is a mighty dangerous line of work.” Ignis leaned in, feeling Gladio’s warmth radiating off of him. The smell of the blood, the feel of each heart beat, it was sending Ignis spiraling down. 

“I love a little brush with danger every now and again.” 

Ignis had to hold himself very still, the desire to pounce, devour, at these words, surged forward. He swallowed, forcing control back into place. As they seemed to stare at each other, their drinks were replenished, and Ignis made a decision.

“You wouldn’t by chance live close to here?” It was bold to ask as their conversation was new, fresh. Yet, Ignis could feel the sparks. Besides, their entire conversation was rather bold. What was there to lose? 

To his relief, Gladio smiled widely and grabbed the neck of the bottle. “Why, I do live walking distance from here.” 

Ignis can’t help but watch as the brown glass was brought to plush lips. Green eyes flit up, seeing Gladio smiling at him, eyes watching. 

“I believe we have overstayed our welcome here.” Ignis brought his own glass to his lips, downing its contents, and letting the empty container meet the bar soundlessly. He reached into his pocket, fingers on the billfold, but he never removed them as Gladio had also stood and placed his hand on Ignis’s shoulder. 

“Don’t.” Gladio’s other hand pulled out his own wallet. “Remember, my treat.” 

Money was placed down, and Ignis was forced to resign. “I suppose I have never had another buy me a drink. I am not accustomed to this.” 

A full and hearty laugh that hit something deep inside Ignis echoed the room. “I don’t believe that even for a second.”

Gladio was tall, and even so, his gestures were commanding. As he walked away, Ignis couldn’t help but fall in line after him. 

They left the bar, not a single person looking after them as they went. This was, after all, the purpose of such places, to be left secretive enough and no one ever asked questions. 

They strode along the streets, faint street lamps glowing in regular intervals as they passed. No words were exchanged and Ignis wondered, his stomach burning with desire, if Gladio had really meant he was only a walk away. 

Just as he was about to open his mouth, they turned, coming to an apartment complex and up the steps. “See, told ya I wasn’t too far.” 

“I never doubted you for a moment.” They moved into the building and the harsh whirring of electricity filled the hallway as they moved to the stairs. 

“You don’t mind if we-?” Gladio gestured to the stairs and Ignis shook his head. 

“I do not mind.” Ignis couldn’t help but smirk in Gladio’s presence. Each little gesture and smile made him endearing. 

They climbed the steps, three flights up. Again, this was done in silence, but there didn’t feel to be much of a need for them to hold conversation. At long last, they arrived at the door, where Gladio slipped a key from one of many keys that had been jangling in his pocket into the lock. It clicked happily, and they were allowed entrance. 

Even before Gladio flicked on the light, Ignis could tell this place didn’t see much use. There was a single couch in a small living room, the wall covered in books. There was a radio sitting in the corner, and a small kitchen. There were three doors off this room, and Ignis was left to guess one was the bedroom and the other to the washroom. The last was likely a water heater, closet or laundry room. 

Stepping into the room, Ignis shrugged out of his jacket, placing it over the back of the couch. “You have a very nice place here.”

His feet took him to the window, and while the room behind him was modest, the view from the small balcony was phenomenal. The ocean was just out of reach, the dark mass moving subtly in the night. 

“It is home, that’s for sure.” Gladio was rummaging around in the kitchen for something, and when Ignis turned back around, a crystal glass was forced into his palm. “I figured you might be thirsty after our walk.” 

Ignis chuckled, swallowing his heart back down into his chest, and looked up at the other man. His scent was all over this place, and while it was only minimally used, his desire had never been stronger. 

“What a gentleman.” The words came out husky, and it seemed to stir something inside Gladio too. Ignis brought the glass to his nose, inhaling the whiskey, not as expensive as the blend he had been drinking at the bar, but it was not the worst. 

Gladio didn’t move as he brought his own glass to his lips. They were locked in a staring match, neither one wanting to waver, lest a spell be broken. Ignis let the liquid move about his pallet, only swallowing when his glass found a low table. He stepped forward, the gap between them becoming nothing. 

Ignis’s fingers found the soft cloth of Gladio’s tank top, and pressed into him. Hips to sternum, they touched. Ignis smirked, feeling Gladio’s hardening member underneath him. He licked his lips, and brought his unused finger, pulling Gladio’s chin the fraction of an inch down it needed so he could kiss him. 

Unexpectedly, Ignis felt both of Gladio’s large hands on his body, grabbing him. One hand firmly grasped his buttocks while the other grabbed his waist, holding them together. Their mouths hooked, and for only a brief moment Ignis wondered where Gladio’s own whiskey had gone. 

The passion exchanged between their bodies heightened Ignis’s senses. Each touch pulled him into a deeper hunger, a deeper need that he had never known. Gladio’s mouth tasted of honey and something warm. Gladio’s scent was intoxicatingly everywhere, as he was pulled off his feet. 

They moved, their appetites battling as their hands moved over each other's bodies. Ignis pulled the shirt from Gladio’s perfectly muscled torso as the buttons of his own shirt were undone. The shells of their clothing were discarded carelessly. Between the kisses and touching, Ignis was pressed into the bed, a slight gasp at the other man’s weight against him. 

“Well,” Ignis spoke against the plush lips. He was ever so careful to keep his fangs away until the right moment. “I seem to be helpless here,” Ignis ground his hips upwards which forced a grin from the man above him. “I hope you will take advantage of that.”

“I plan to.” The deep primal growl echoed inside Ignis so strongly he felt as if it would make him undone. Gladio then reached into his bedside table, and retrieved something from its drawer. Ignis used the moments to trace the well sculpted and crafted muscles of the other man’s body. 

Each fine curve and muscle under his touched tremored only slightly until he returned, pinning him in place. Of course, Ignis could free himself if he wanted, but this, letting the other man take control, it was almost too much for him, and he wanted to lose as much control as he was able.

Gladio returned his full attention back to Ignis, and Ignis felt himself smiling at the regard. It was momentarily as if he had never done a terrible thing in his life, momentarily as if he wasn’t an undead monster who needed to drink the blood of humans to survive, momentarily Ignis felt like he was finally being seen. 

His fine fingers moved to the leather pants restricting his partner, and daftly unbuttoned them, begging to see the pleasure underneath. Gladio obeyed eagerly, and Ignis let his eyes linger for a moment, body propped on elbows. 

“Like what you see?” The overly assured tone made Ignis chuckle, a smile spreading his own lips. 

“More than you will ever know.” Ignis reached for his own pants and removed them with one swift motion. The sound that Gladio made to that was pleasant, trilling across his flesh. Now, so recently exposed, Ignis could feel the heat from the other man cascading over him in waves. He smirked, and removed the glasses upon his face, knowing that even without them his vision was nearly perfect. 

Gladio took a moment to look the man over, appraising Ignis’s thin waist and the curves of everything below. It made him swell excitedly as fingers traced down the delicate lines, until they stopped on an icy white scar on his stomach. The proof of his death. 

“What is this?” Gladio questioned, tracing from sternum down, over the wound that was older than time itself. 

“Childhood accident.” Ignis was curt, not wishing to extend the conversation too long lest he let slip anything too important about his past to the man. He reached up, tangling fingers into the long mane of hair and pulled with more force than necessary. 

The complaint was muffled by the pressing of lips and the fresh press of their bodies to each other. The hunger inside Ignis was building and if Gladio kept talking, Ignis would simply take what he wanted. 

Luckily, the kissing and pressing was enough to push the conversation out of the other man’s mind, and soon his fingers were around a bottle. Dripping, they were applied to Ignis’s hole. There was a surprised gasp from Gladio, as he pulled back. Ignis couldn’t help but smirk, having prepared himself just for this occasion. 

“Is there something wrong?” Ignis spoke, but didn’t allow Gladio to answer, pulling him down, and forcing the finger inside him to prove his eagerness. 

Gladio responded, working inside him as they breathed into each other. Soft moans escaped Ignis’s lips until he was suddenly empty and his mouth separated from his prize. Gladio’s fingers were upon a small package, ripping the condom from its wrapper and placing it from tip to base. With a liberal amount of lube, Gladio was lined up.

With a sharp inhale, Gladio pressed in. It was everything and more that Ignis could have wanted. His body reacted without him, and legs locked around the other man. Slowly, Gladio slid further inside. A low moan escaped, and Ignis gripped Gladio’s shoulders, pulling his arched form closer. 

From there, a slow and rapturous pace was set. A hand found his hips, and Ignis arched with the spikes of pleasure; blossoming and growing. Each burst bigger than the one before. The physical ache spurred the hunger, and as fingers found his own cock, Ignis pulled Gladio down. 

Lips pressed into the muscular neck as Gladio’s body continued to work. As a particularly enjoyable moan slipped from Gladio’s lips, Ignis bit down, puncturing the flesh enough to feed. 

Pleasure rolled quicker now, lips latching onto the skin, mouth sucking sweet liquid. Gladio’s body pulsed. Over and over, the larger man pressed in deeper, harder. Ignis drank, feeling the tremors roll over his prey. Gladio tasted sweeter and richer than any mead, pulling Ignis into a drunk state of euphoria unparalleled to anything he had ever felt. 

Gladio moaned, body drenched, breaths coming short and husky. Ignis felt his own body covered in sweat as his body found release across his chest. Only then did Gladio quicken, forcing his own climax inside him. 

For a breathless moment, as Ignis pulled away from the fresh red marks on the man’s skin, they stayed tangled together. The remaining coils of pleasure left them trembling and helpless. Ignis couldn't help collapsing against the sheets, unsure if he had ever felt this way about anyone or if he would ever find prey like this again.

~~~~

Finding a new job hadn’t been easy, but after weeks of searching, another opportunity had opened for him. During the days of solitude, hiding in his flat, Gladio had been on his mind almost constantly. Never had he ever been so stuck on one person, especially when he was not hungry. There was something to it, and he wasn’t sure what. 

As the weeks continued to drag on and the tattooed steel worker remained stubbornly impeded in his mind, Ignis decided it was time to hunt. 

“Wash away the memory with someone else.” It was out of the question to return to Ignis’s regular spot. The sheer idea that Gladio could be there tipped his resolve. 

Ignis’s feet took him away from the main streets. The well lit paths, safe to most, were long behind him in favor of the dimly lit and decrepit. It was when he saw groups of people huddled nervously around each other that Ignis knew he had arrived. 

Simply waiting for someone to approach him, Ignis was able to find exactly what he was looking for. It didn’t matter who it was, and in fact the woman who came to him would do. It was against his normal type, exactly the thing he needed to fade the strong memory still lingering in his mouth. 

“Are you looking for company tonight?” She smelled of wheat and woods, a sharp note of unclean, and uncared for. 

“I am, indeed.” Ignis scrunched his nose, seeing her short skirt and bruised legs. She was far too young for this, but that was not for Ignis to decide. Instead, he took her away from the dirty street to a two star motel. 

It was easy, and Ignis preferred if she remained clothed. Feeding was simple, and when he was done, he felt neither satisfied nor did he feel as if this had helped him forget. On the contrary. Ignis felt as if his desires were stronger. 

A month Ignis decided to push his next feeding, and as the days grew longer, Ignis’s resolve grew harder. With the growing hunger, so did the growing desire to seek out Gladio. It was on a night walk, as Ignis was clearing his head that it happened. 

The air was cool, the sweet taste of the sea was hovering in the air. The hunger made Ignis think irrationally, and it was something he absolutely despised, being the precise monster he was. Clarity in thought and action was something he held pride in. 

Eyes closed, each step echoed along the paved street. There was little to interrupt his thoughts as his feet moved, slowly and with confidence. 

_ Peace.  _

_ Serenity. _

The scent in the air shifted so quickly, Ignis felt his head spin. Salty air shifted into warm honey. Sweet water droplets into the warm musk. It was a scent that had haunted him for two full moons and one that he longed to taste. The memory of the amber sweetness of his blood made Ignis’s body tremble, skin prickling in excitement. 

“No.” Ignis shook his head, hand tossed to steady himself on the building. “I can not.... I will not.”

The hunger transformed in that moment, shifting from the nagging docile proding into an aggressive predator. Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose as he walked away from the scent. Emerald eyes scanned the beach for any sign of life. Any at all. 

A single figure lay beneath a tree, sleeping soundly to the waves crashing ashore. Ignis couldn’t care. His feet moved and he was upon him. Fingers grabbed him. Only momentarily was he awoken before Ignis sunk his teeth in, and drunk. 

The warm smoky liquid filled his mouth and trickled down his throat. While the hunger died, something else stirred. A passion and longing that hurt. Ignis pushed it away, feeling his nails dig into yielding flesh. Still, the desire to find Gladio grew deep as if he was crazed with it. 

Hot tears burned on his face, and Ignis pulled away from the dead man. “No.” He shook, feeling the man’s once warm blood upon his body, soaking through his clothing and into his skin. “No.” Ignis shook with upset. 

It was long after the man took his last breath that a hand came to his shoulder. The physical contact pulled Ignis from the state he was in. Everything came crashing down. The tears that had flowed stopped abruptly. 

“Come with me. The council wishes an audience.” The man’s voice was familiar. A man of Cor’s council, Titus Drautos. 

“As you wish.” Ignis blinked, green eyes staring down at the dead man. He didn’t have fight in him to run from the punishment he would receive. So, they walked together, to meet the council. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis deals with the Quinctus council of vampires and Gladio deals with his left over feelings of the man who left him the morning after. Both end covered in blood and an even bigger predicament is created.

The dark underworld of the city was not a place that was accessible by those who do not know of its existence. The carved stone walls felt like a cave, a soft _drip_ echoed through the brazier lit walls. It felt as a dungeon would feel. Even as the city above advanced, these features remained. 

Ignis had wondered if it was because of how old the council was, or if it was to remind all those who came here of the past. There was a life of hiding, a life of secrecy that these walls held in tightly. It was for those ideals that the barbaric ways were kept in check. This was not something Ignis was fond of, and as the craze that Gladio’s scent had caused faded, he realized just how badly he had messed up. 

Titus didn’t speak as they passed through rooms and hallways. He simply led on, deeper into the labyrinth. Ignis had been here before, under different circumstances and in a different lifetime. The halls were not familiar, comfortable nor were they cold and distant. They were just hallways, and Ignis wished they were shorter. 

Finally, they approached the last door. Titus paused to look back at Ignis. “You don’t need me to tell you how this works.” 

The door swung open before him, revealing a large chamber with a vaulted ceiling supported by flagstone walls. The far side of the oval room held a raised bench where four people sat. The Council. Never had Ignis seen all four council members present and it brought the question as to _why_ they were all present. 

Ignis’s eyes moved across the line of elder vampires. The first who caught his attention was Cor the Immortal. Without even looking, he could feel the looks from behind him as Titus gazed across the room. The two were a pair, one only rarely being seen without the other. Cor was old, said to be older than the Americas, older than Britain and most recognized countries. His exact age was for him and him alone to know. 

Next in the row was Ardyn, the man who had made him. Through the stoic existence that Ignis kept, he could feel the anger at that rise. He would never forgive that man for leaving him to fend for himself. Ardyn, to Ignis’s knowledge, was the oldest Vampire alive, far older than the Immortal. 

Gilgamesh sat next. His face was hidden in an unnatural darkness that no light could penetrate without Gligamesh wishing it. He was second oldest only to Ardyn, and they had been a pair for longer than Ignis’s life… both lives. Their relationship was peculiar and past that Ignis wished to know none of it. 

Camelia Claustra and Gentiana sat next. These two women Ignis knew less about and had only seen them once each in passing. Gentiana was silent, nearly mute until she had a point to make. Her mysticism captivated many, yet Ignis gave her a wide berth. Those who were so quiet were often the most deadly and in this world, that was never good. 

Camelia, on the other hand, was a very straight forward woman. She had been a politician when she had been turned, old but not yet ready to die; her immortality frozen in the frail looking body. However, her mind was as sharp as it had ever been and where her body lacked she made up for it in wit. To be fair, she was still more physically able than most humans, but she was not as strong as any of the others upon the council. 

Ignis stepped forward into the warm light, eyes set above the council, making eye contact with none of them. He stood, the eyes of a few onlookers to the side. They mattered not. What mattered was what the Council was going to say. 

“Ignis Scientia.” The words came from Camelia’s lips, and they carried without effort. “You are brought here today for a minor crime. This breach of our code is so insignificant that we would usually not reprimand you on such a scale.”

Ignis forced his face to remain neutral and unmoving. This had not been what he was expecting. 

“However,” Camelia straightened, and Ignis could feel the air change between the council members. “This crime is unlike anything you have ever done in your two hundred years. Even in your incipient years, you were more cautious than most. It was something we noted, as your Master was proud of you.” 

Ignis felt a wave of nausea at the word and his already pale skin paled more. 

“So, we are here to ask,” Camelia’s hands moved for the first time, producing a large feather quill and ink pot. “What caused you to lose your composure now, after all these years.”

Ignis bit down on his lip, immediately tasting fresh blood. He was in trouble if he didn’t answer cautiously. After a heartbeat of thought, Ignis spoke. “I was overtaken by a smell.”

There was a whisper among the few gathered in Ignis’s peripheral but he ignored them, choosing to press the glasses back up his nose. 

“This,” Camelia’s paused and cleared her throat, “ _scent_ was something so overwhelming you turned and tore into the first man you encountered?” 

“Yes.” Ignis knew overexplaining this situation would put himself and _Gladio_ \- Ignis felt a lurch in his chest at the idea of the other man. The image of the man flashed in his mind’s eye, and he felt the yearning become him once more. 

“This _scent_ was so powerful, you sat in his blood long after you had finished feeding, long after he was dead. For all to see?” Camelia had stopped writing and looked patiently over the table at Ignis. 

Ignis’s jaw tightened, and he knew when he had already given away too much. He let out a long slow breath from his nose, and waited. 

“Oh, come now, Claustra! Give the boy a break.” The long relaxed words filled the room as Ardyn stood. 

It was now that Ignis saw what the man was wearing. The eccentricities that had been present upon their last meeting were tenfold now. Green striped pants from a different decade, colors and patterns upon scarves that clashed with the modern, and if Ignis’s eyes were telling truth, at least four different shirts. Ardyn moved, the two long jackets echoing about him like a cape. 

It was after a few paces into the main room that Camelia cleared her throat once more. “Have you ever thought about wearing clothing that would allow you to blend in, Ardyn?”

Ardyn paused at the words, an actor on a stage of so few, but still an actor nonetheless. He stood up straight, with an “Ah!” before pulling out a crumpled hat that must have been sat upon at least once. With a little finagling and a punch of the tough fabric, a large ‘bucket’ top hat with large, shell-like beads sewn into it was brought into full view.

“I offer this hat.” Ardyn smiled, proudly placing the gaudy creature upon his head. 

Camelia opened her mouth, but closed it, being as lost for words as most of the others in the room. 

“Do not bother Camelia.” The voice was unmistakable, deep and coming from Gilgamesh. 

“Just because you’ve lived three thousand years does not mean you must wear a piece of clothing from each century.” Camelia looked flustered for a moment, a frown creasing the already creased face. 

“It is no use.” Gilgamesh let out a soft sigh, and turned to face Camelia. 

Ardyn seemed to have paid no mind to the conversation happening behind him as his approach remained slow and measured. Ignis remained still as a statue, something that came as second nature for a member of the undead. 

“What is so special as to make you act out after all these years? That is truly what we wish to know.” Ardyn was close now, so much so that even without inhaling, Ignis could taste him on his tongue. The musky warm smell that was so familiar and haunted his night terrors, swirled around him and encompassed him. 

“Why do you think anything _special_ has happened?” Ignis didn’t look into the golden flecked eyes of his Master. Instead, he stared straight ahead, near a spot on the wall by Camelia’s head. 

“You have a predictable pattern.” Ardyn stood straight, throwing his head back with a laugh. “You have broken your pattern, Ignis.”

Ignis bit the inside of his lip, knowing that if he postponed too long, it would become dangerous. It was then, as Ignis tasted his own blood upon his tongue, that Ardyn took a large breath inward. Ignis immediately knew what he was looking for, and now he must keep his mouth shut even more. 

There was a moment that passed, no sounds spare the crackling of flames. Ignis didn’t breathe, nor, did it seem, did anyone else in the chamber. Then, as a thin lipped smile spread over Ardyn’s features, Ignis’s stomach sank. 

“That scent is-” Ardyn smiled wider as he feigned searching for words. “Peculiar. I have smelled something similar before. Would you like to know where?” 

Ignis swallowed hard, taking in a slow measured breath. “Where?”

Ignis felt his body shift into a fight or flight response, his body tensing although his physical posture changed little. 

“There was, many, many years ago,” Ardyn turned his back to Ignis, and started speaking to those present as if it was a story for all to hear. “He was the most peculiar individual I have ever met. He was tall, with rich skin and deep brown hair. This man had two distinguishing features that I feel might be important here.” 

Ardyn had taken steps away from Ignis, carefully and delicately talking and walking around the open space. It was now, five paces separated, that Ardyn turned back. “This man had the most interesting tattoo about his body, a full rendition of an Eagle upon his back, chest and arms. He also smelled as the sweetest blood I have ever smelled in my entire life. It was as if there was honey... in his blood.”

Ignis felt his world flip, and his brain shut down as Ardyn continued to speak. 

“Oh! And did I mention,” The repulsive smile was still plastered on the vampire’s face, and it made Ignis sick. “I met him at the end of a silver blade.”

Ignis felt his head spun. There was a sharp pain in his knee, and for a moment, Ignis didn’t realize he had fallen to the ground. 

“Just as I thought.” Ardyn was in his face, placing Ignis’s suddenly cool cheeks in his warm fingers. “You found the Scutum.” 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Ignis felt himself forcing the sickness threatening him down as he met those pustulent, yellow eyes. 

“Oh, but you do.” Ardyn pressed his forehead to Ignis’s making him pull back violently. 

Ardyn laughed as Ignis fell to his bottom. Standing, Ardyn addressed two menacing looking vampires that had thus not moved or seemed interested in the slightest. “You two. Find the Scutum, and quickly. We can’t have the hunter finding us before we get a hold of him.” 

“Hunter?” Ignis questioned, fixing his glasses. Ardyn flicked his fingers lazily at two other vampires who came towards him then. 

“Yes.” Ardyn yawned as if now suddenly bored. “The Scutum blood is a family of well known Vampire Hunters.” 

In Ignis’s surprise, he didn’t notice as he was dragged to his feet. “No.” Ignis shook his head violently as he struggled against the hands on his arms. “You are wrong.” 

Ardyn laughed one last time as the door to the council chamber began to close. “And make sure to bring him here alive.”

Ignis stopped struggling as soon as the door slammed shut. He was taken away, down hallways he didn’t recognise. He could feel them growing lower in the ground, and knew he was being put deep within the compound. His head was throbbing, and the flickering lights made his concentration waver. 

It smelled of earth, musty and thick. It was a fragrance so natural, Ignis knew this was made long ago. The sound of a door opening brought him back to his senses, and he found he was being placed in a chair. 

“You are to remain here.” One of the men spoke, Ignis pulling the glasses from his face. “Everything you will need shall be brought to you.” 

Suddenly and without expecting it, Ignis found himself alone with nothing but his thoughts. 

~*~*~*~*~

Gladio awoke the next morning like he always did, before the sun and ready for his early morning run. He had expected Ignis to be in his bed after the wild tumble they had had, as no normal person would be able to bounce back and be up that early. 

Or that had been the thought. 

To Gladio's surprise, his bed was empty and there was no trace of the man to be seen. If it wasn't for his own clothing strewn from couch to bedroom, the half full glass of whiskey he'd poured for Ignis and the yearning in his chest, Gladio would have believed the whole thing a dream. Albeit a nice dream.

There was also the slight throbbing in his neck from where Ignis had bit down right before they'd both climaxed. Instead of a bruise, however, there were only two pin prick sized holes. 

Gladio's run didn't clear his head any and after hours of thinking, he had decided to go to the restaurant Ignis had mentioned working at. The restaurant was packed when he arrived, and when he mentioned Ignis's name to the hostess, he received a startling response.

"He quit this morning, it’s left us in a horrible spot... and on a Friday night, too!"

Gladio left more confused then he had been before. The only thing that was certain now was that Ignis existed. 

Frustrated, Gladio decided he wouldn’t rest until he found Ignis. Cigarette in hand, his next stop was the bar he had met the man in. Black Cat had been a first, and it was Noctis’s idea. 

Day after day, Gladio returned to the Black Cat, hoping that Ignis would return. 

“You know, you are looking kinda desperate right about now.” Noctis smirked, his elbows propped on the bar top as he looked out at the busy floor to watch Prompto weave his way to the restroom. “Dude couldn’t a’ been that good, could he?”

Gladio let a puff of smoke rise from between his lips as he brought the whiskey glass back to his lips. “I don’t know how to explain it. It just-” 

Gladio shook his head, frustration setting in as the alcohol and tobacco muddied his system. “It feels like a dream, and I just gotta find him. I don’t know how else to put it.” 

Noctis shook his head. “You’ve always been a strange dude, you know that.” 

“Yeah.” Gladio chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the sign of another patron entering. Still not Ignis. 

The weeks turned into months, and still, Ignis remained out of his reach. Hot summer days quickly shifted into cool Fall. Warm August nights turned to crisp October eves. 

“I think you should give it up.” Noctis said one night, crystal blue eyes staring daggers into an uncarved pumpkin. 

“You keep saying that.” Gladio shook his head, staring out into the night. The moon was high in the sky and the cold biting winds had yet to turn the warm day crisp. “I’m gonna go for a walk. You two try not to burn down the apartment?”

Gladio didn’t wait for an answer, pulling his jacket over his shoulders and pushing through the door. He didn’t even bother grabbing his keys or locking up behind him. Something was calling him, and he wanted to see the moon sitting over the water. 

It wasn’t until the next morning, the daily newspaper in hand, that Gladio realized just how close to destruction he had come. A homeless man had been torn to shreds right where Gladio had been on his walk. The thought sent shivers down his spine. 

Yet, the next night, he found himself at the Black Cat once more. “So,you haven’t seen Ignis yet, have you?”

“Last night I saw him he left with you. You don’t think the boy is try’na avoid ya?” Larry the bar man took the empty bottle and replaced it with a crisp new one. 

“I’m starting to think that’s the case. It's like he just got up and vanished.” Gladio shook his head, taking the bottle to his lips. Larry simply nodded his head, having no one else to serve on the quiet night 

“You know,” Gladio stood, rummaging in his pocket for his wallet and for his cigarettes. “It's hot. I gotta grab some air.” 

Bills hit the counter and the amber liquid downed in one gulp. He was intending on returning, but if he ended up not, Gladio wanted the bill cleared. With a suppressed belch, he crossed the room, placing the unlit smoke between his lips. Even before he cleared the threshold, the end found the flame and he inhaled the bitter taste into his lungs. 

The fresh autumn air rushed him like a wave, the cool bitter air stinging his lungs. Gladio coughed, but felt better than in the hot, stuffy and smoke filled bar. His feet were moving before he knew what he was doing. 

Around the corner of the building, Gladio leaned against the red brick wall, closing his eyes as he tried to center himself. _He would stop looking for Ignis and move on with his life._ Gladio could feel his skin against the inside of his leather jacket. _There was no reason to be captivated by the man any longer. It was simply a waste of his time. If Ignis had wanted-_

The sound of crunching gravel pulled Gladio from his thoughts. His eyes snapped open and he watched as a blond haired man in a leather jacket entered the alley.

“You don’t have a light, do you?” The other man moved slowly, methodically. 

Gladio quirked his brow, looking at the other man, and finding something peculiar about him. As Gladio stared at blue eyes, they shifted to gold and back again in the blink of an eye. 

“Yeah.” Gladio pulled the lighter from his pocket and tossed it to the other man. 

The world shifted on its axis as everything seemed to slow. The lighter left Gladio’s finger tips, and the man pressed forward on his toes. He was at his side, and Gladio couldn’t get his muscles to react as quickly as the other man’s. 

The man reached up, and impossibly sharp nails found their way to Gladio’s face. A spark of blood entered his vision as Gladio moved his arm to the other man’s throat. As the pain flared, and the sound clicked back in place, the lighter ‘ _tinked_ ’ to the ground. 

There was more strength in Gladio’s hands, as a new rage flared in him that he had never known. The man choked and struggled against Gladio’s grasp, and Gladio’s fingers tightened. The body flung across the alley, into the opposite wall, and there was a sickening crack that Gladio was left to assume came from the other man. 

There was a blank numbness to his brain as he looked at the man who must have been dead. Or- He stood. Gladio was sure he should have been dead. 

“I have come for you.” The man smiled, and Gladio saw pointed teeth. He had to be dreaming.

“Why?” Gladio felt his trembling fingers move to his jacket. 

“You want to find Ignis again, don’t cha?” There was a sick, maniacal laugh that slipped from pale lips. The leather jacket fell from his shoulders and crumpled to the ground. 

“What have you done with him!” Gladio growled, and his fist connected with jaw first and second ribs. All the other man did was laugh, crumpling only slightly. 

“He’s fine.” There was a spit of blood on the ground as the other man straightened. Gladio did not appreciate being taunted. “For now.”

The world shifted again. For a moment, everything went black and then it went red. When the world tilted back to normal, Gladio was trembling. 

His hands were covered in blood, someone else's blood. A single bloody hand print was upon his chest, and- In horror, Gladio looked down. He was kneeling in the other man’s blood, and before him- Before him, the other man lay dead. 

Gladio tossed his hand out, bracing against the wall as the world spun and his stomach churned. His other hand came to his head. None of this could be real. 

Could it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! The Art was done by XHidaka and of course I loved working with them. I am all for more Vampire Ignis! 
> 
> I appreciate all kudos and respond to all comments! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despair overcomes both Ignis and Gladio as they figure out what to do. What is so special about Gladio and will they both find their way out of the sticky situation they've found themselves in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ao3 did not like my draft for this chapter and it has taken some finagling to get the chapter uploaded. Sorry for the delay.

There was a soft knock on the door, and before Ignis could answer, it opened and someone entered behind him. Their smell was foriegn, in this place of the old vampires. It was fresh, warm and very much so alive. 

“Master?” 

Ignis jerked his head up then, disliking the wording. “I am not your master.”

“I must disagree. All those who keep me are my master.” 

Ignis shifted and, looking over his shoulder, saw the old man standing still in the doorway. He had not moved into the room fully, either from fear or respect, Ignis was uncertain. He was holding a tray with a single goblet and a folded linen. Shifting his shoulders back, Ignis sat straighter. 

“My name is Jared Hester, and I am one of the few humans alive who knows the secrets of your world.” Ignis watched as Jared stood there, eyes unfaltering and set expression on him. 

“What do you want, Jared Hester?” Ignis could hear just how tired he sounded, even over the irritation in the words. 

“I have come to bring you a meal and a fresh shirt.” Ignis noticed how Jared still didn’t move, and the amount of personal restraint it took was honestly impressive, even to someone like him. 

Ignis felt his shoulders collapse as he looked down at his shirt with a frown. He had been ignoring the dried blood on his hands and fingertips, and the sticking of the shirt to his chest was now stiff and uncomfortable. He was coated in blood, and the images of the man’s mangled body still flashed across his mind's eye. 

His fingers went to his shirt, fumbling at them with little to no success. Ignis’s fingers trembled and he felt the frustration pour out of him in a violent wave. 

“Do you mind if I help, Master Ignis?” The words were soft and Ignis couldn’t help but feel the compassion behind them. 

“As you will.” Ignis felt defeated, and past the point of being a caged animal, Ignis felt as if the world was trying to tear him down from whatever peg he had been perched upon. 

Jared moved slowly, measured. Ignis didn’t watch, listening told him everything he needed. The metal tray was placed upon the desk next to the burning candle. Jared stepped, each foot firmly connecting the ground before the next step was taken. Each breath and movement was perfected. A human who had long lived with vampires. 

Jared looked older and felt more fragile up close. A misplaced breath, and Ignis felt he would snap the man in two. 

One by one, the buttons were undone, and the cool air played across his chest. Ignis let a single breath from his lips, feeling helpless. “That’s enough.” 

Ignis pulled away, and Jared immediately backed away as if remaining in Ignis’s presence would result in physical injury. A frustrated sigh slipped his lips, and Ignis looked to the side, eyes boring into the wall. “If there is nothing else?”

“Well-” For the first time, Jared was hesitant. Ignis felt his eyebrow raise. There was a moment of silence, where the sound of the fire and the man’s breathing were the only thing in the room. 

“May I be frank, Master?” 

Ignis pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the upset fill him. Not at the man, or even the situation he had found himself. It was everything. “Yes. Please do.” 

“You met Master Gladiolus?” Ignis felt his features pull taught and immediately he turned to face the human. 

“Met? No. I did more than just that...” Ignis vividly remembered exactly what had transpired. “But simply, yes. I have spent time in his presence. Why do you ask?”

It was more the ‘master’ comment that had Ignis curious. From their brief exchange, Ignis felt the human had been in servitude to the council for a long time. Calling another non undead being Master meant something. 

“My family has long been in servitude to who you call the Scutum blooded. They have long held the surname Amicitia. If I am correct, Gladiolus and Iris are the last two Scutum blooded alive. I was taken from their great grandfather when Ardyn single handedly murdered him. It was the job of my line to train those destined to be vampire hunters. 

“With my Grandfather’s death and my father and my capture, the knowledge we had was not passed on, and thus they became regular humans.” Jared stopped, and wrinkled his hands before him. “But their destiny is in their blood. They cannot help what they are, and if they are confronted with these vampire bounty hunters, there will be death.”

“You want me to do something about it?” Ignis looked away, not sure this was even his business. Maybe Gladio’s blood was drawing him in so he could be easier to kill. 

“You feel it, don’t you?” The words were a plea, and Jared dared a step forward. “The draw he has. Neither him nor I can be changed. The transformation does nothing to us, our blood is too stable. They tried for many years to turn me against my kind. That does mean that they will have to kill him for they see him as too dangerous.”

The words made Ignis’s heart hammer faster and an unfamiliar anxiety struck him at those words. He wouldn’t let that happen. His hand shot out towards the wall, his hand grabbing at the edge of his shirt. “What do you want me to do?”

....

Over the next few hours, the entire compound turned into chaos. The moments after Ignis had washed and changed into the clean garments, there was a large commotion down the hallway. Ignis clearly heard one of his vampire guards saying that the Scutum had killed Luche. 

Ignis remembered Luche, the sharp and abrasive blond youth. He was young, fifty years old. He was replaceable in the eternal of the Quinctus council. They had sent him to glory or death. The outcome mattered not. They would send more, of that Ignis was sure.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door and Jared entered once more. "It's time. Follow me."

Jared slipped through the door allowing Ignis to join him on the other side. The hallway was surprisingly empty. There was little time to ponder as Jared moved quickly through the maze work of tunnels. 

Ignis was soon lost, the patchwork of smells and changing of lighting kept Ignis disoriented. That was, until he felt them moving up. The slope was subtle at first, but soon enough it was sharp and visible. 

In the blink of an eye they were in a tunnel, carved with stones and lit with flickering old electrical string lights similar to the type used in mining. 

Ignis shook the thought from his head, long enough to orient himself. In the few breaths that had elapsed, Jared had started to move back the way they had come. 

"Wait. Don't you want to come with me to find him?" Jared paused at the words and turned around to look at Ignis.

"No. I don’t believe I will." Jared's lips curled upwards as he turned back around. "This is your path, not mine."

Ignis watched and waited until Jared disappeared into the darkness before he turned about. The tunnel smelled different now, fresh air and sea salt guided him until he reached the tunnels exit by the beach. The moon was still high in the sky and it was waxing towards full. 

Ignis knew he had to work fast if he was going to find Gladio before either sunrise or the Quinctus found him. The ground shifted quickly underfoot as Ignis went to the only place he could think of to find Gladio; The Black Cat. 

Sweet honeyed musk hit Ignis like a wall two blocks from the bar and he knew Gladio was near. Following the scent, Ignis turned the corner. 

He was met by a wall of flesh and deep earthy scent. Iignis's senses stunned him as he was suddenly held tightly in strong, familiar arms. "Gladio?" Ignis forced the words through airless lungs.

"What do you want with me?" Gladio's voice was a growl and his movements felt like instinct, not training. 

"It's me, Gladio." Ignis shifted to struggle but his leverage had been lost early, and it was up to Gladio to come to his senses. 

"I," Gladio sounded weak and uncertain as he staggered slightly. It took longer than expected but finally Gladio released his hold upon him. If it hadn't been that they were pressed for time, the long wait wouldn't have bothered Ignis. 

As he straightened himself, Ignis had his gaze fixed to Gladio alone. He watched as the realization passed through Gladio’s eyes, as if he was staring at him through a foggy drug haze. “Ignis?”

“You alright there, big guy?” Ignis tilted his head, and what he had not been expecting was for Gladio to laugh, a rich, full hearted laugh. 

“Yeah.” Gladio smiled, shifting into a more relaxed position. The aura that had surrounded him just moments ago was completely gone. “I am feeling pretty good, actually.”

Ignis took the moment to just be. He inhaled, Gladio’s scent filling his lungs, and making his lips twitch with a smile. Jade green eyes looked up every perfect inch of the man, and he felt then that he would ever want for naught again. The perfect curves, toned muscles, the black ink that covered so much of his body, finally the smile that warmed the heart Ignis had long since thought dead. 

“We need to go somewhere safe to talk.” Ignis moved, wrapping his fingers around Gladio’s wrist. They were both in danger, and there was no telling what the council’s plans were for either of them. 

There was a slight resistance to the pulling, but Gladio fell into step quickly behind him. Ignis had to think on his feet. Neither his place nor Gladio’s was safe now. Ignis wasn’t sure how or what Gladio had done with the dead body, or even if the council had sent someone to clean it up, but there were too many factors of returning to Gladio’s place. 

Three blocks from the Black Cat, Ignis stopped. Gladio almost bowled into him, but stopped with a huff. “Everything okay?”

“No.” Ignis turned around, not releasing Gladio’s wrist. “Do you have somewhere we can go that isn’t your house?”

“Why can’t we go back to my place?” Gladio didn’t even attempt to pull away from Ignis’s grip.

“Just trust me. I will explain when we are there.” It was getting more imperative, but how else could Ignis explain this without just telling him? 

“Okay.” Gladio shifted on his heel, and turned to look behind him. “Noct’s place isn’t too far from here. Follow me.”

Only then did Ignis release Gladio’s wrist and began moving down the street. It was late, and most of the town was asleep. Ignis couldn’t thank the fates any more. They made it to the apartment, and Ignis immediately noticed just how expensive the building and surroundings were. 

They went through a wrought iron gate, the metallic clang echoing in the still of the night. “Who is this Noct person?”

The question came out without Ignis even realizing it. Another laugh, loud, sharp and warming filled the air as they pressed through the doors and into the heated interior. “Noctis? He’s a good friend. If I know him, he’s still awake. Or asleep and Prompto’s awake.” 

Ignis followed Gladio through the lobby area and to a set of stairs. “The friends of yours from the night we met?”

“You were watching.” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement, and Ignis waited while they climbed the steps before answering. 

“Yes. I noticed you before you I.” Ignis felt a strange heat rising in his cheeks that could be nothing else other than embarrassment. What was it with Gladio making him feel more human than he ever had? 

“Well,” Gladio stopped before a door, number two fifteen. “I am glad I was eye catching enough to draw your attention.” 

There was no time for Ignis to react before Gladio brought his fist down against the door. It took a few moments before, bleary eyed, the blond haired boy from the bar opened the door, against the door chain. 

“Prom. Open up, we need a place to crash.” Gladio insisted, and the other man simply yawned. 

“It's late, dude. Can’t you go to your place?” The words were half yawns.

“Come on. Just open up. I don’t have time to explain.” 

“Fine.” Prompto pushed the door shut, grumbling through the door before it flung open once more. 

Inside the apartment it was completely dark, and even still, Ignis could see perfectly fine. The room was minimalist, a couch and a few posters on the wall. It smelled clean but lived in. It was a comfortable scent and Ignis was able to relax only when the door and chain lock was replaced, even if he knew that wouldn’t keep out someone determined. 

“You two do whatever. I’m going to bed.” Prompto yawned once more before disappearing down the hallway. 

“Alright,” Gladio had moved to the couch, clicking a light on from a side table lamp. “You going to tell me what’s going on?”

Reluctantly, Ignis knew that now was the time to spill everything. He sat down, the couch sagging only slightly at the addition of his weight. “You might want to sit down, too. It's a long tale.” 

Once Gladio was seated, Ignis began. He started two hundred years ago when he had been young, innocent and very much so human. He told him about being shipped off to war, mostly by his own account. He told Gladio how he died, and the last pain he had ever felt. 

Ignis paused then, watching Gladio’s expressions. It was shocking to see that Gladio’s face remained stoic, one expression of the same contemplation as he had worn since taking his seat. When it was obvious that Gladio was going to wait for him to continue before questioning anything, Ignis did just that. 

There wasn’t much to tell about the time between his transformation and the past several months. Just about his travels and how he continued to return to this place. The night that had changed everything, Ignis paused. 

“Well,” Ignis cleared his throat and pressed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You know what happened here.” 

“I want to hear it from your side.” The first crack in the mask appeared in the form of a coy and slight curl of his lips. 

“I went to the Black Cat. I have been going for years for the same purpose.” Ignis cleared his throat, feeling his body reacting to the memory. “I wasn’t expecting to find-”

What exactly was Gladio? A phantom in his memory? A trap or a blessing? 

“Find what?” Gladio interrupted Ignis’s train of thought. 

“You.” Ignis couldn’t put it to words. “I can’t help myself when I am around you. I become something I have never been. You have been on my mind ever since I first smelled you.” 

Gladio remained silent, but his face read different now, contemplation over the stoic thoughtfulness. 

“Well, after you fell asleep, I disappeared. I cannot walk about in the light so I had to leave while the moon was still in the sky. I have never spent the night with my prey.” 

The word sounded odd on his tongue. “Yet, I don’t think you fit that word.” 

There was silence for a moment, while Ignis regained his thoughts. His mind was fighting against what to say or how to say it. In the end, He was blunt. “I couldn’t see you again, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’ve never had this issue before where I’ve wanted seconds. It has caused issues.

“I waited between feedings. When that happens with my kind, we lose parts of ourselves. We become reckless. I became reckless because I wanted only you. I was brought in by the Quinctus.” Ignis shook his head now, wanting to get more of the important details out of the way and leave the nasty feelings bit behind. 

“The who?” Gladio quirked his eyebrow, the new scar on his forehead pulling tight. Ignis only noticed it now, as he was watched each line of the other man’s face. A story for a different day. 

“The council of five. They are the vampire elite and uphold the laws we live by.” Ignis bit the inside of his lip, “They took me and held me, because they didn’t want me to find you.”

“Why me?” Gladio huffed, shifting forward in his seat. 

“Well,” There was no way around it. Ignis had wanted to tell him everything, but now, here in front of him, it was pulling at parts of him he didn’t know he had. “You have a special bloodline. You are of Scutum blood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it! More to come and the conclusion to my fic. 
> 
> I appreciate all kudos and respond to all comments!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis buckles down and makes the hard decision. Will it end in his favor or will thinks take a turn for the worse.

A new problem had now come to the surface. With the sun high in the sky, and the truth sinking in, they had a decision to make. It had been made clear that neither of them wished to let the other go, and Ignis knew he could not allow Gladio to get caught. 

Noctis and Prompto had left, and Ignis had not wanted to explain their presence. It was now time to decide what they were going to do, and Ignis felt the anxiety like a pit in his stomach. 

“We need to leave. They do not know about your sister, but she should be warned.” Ignis was moving forward and back, trying to center his thoughts. 

“What do you expect us to do?” Gladio was much more calm, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. 

“Run, and stay on the move.” Ignis had long since stopped staring at the cup of coffee, remembering the taste only vaguely. 

“You want to become, what? Truckers?” Gladio laughed, shaking his head as he took a long sip from the cup. 

“You know what,” Ignis stopped, and smiled. The points of his fangs peeked out just slightly. “That isn’t a half bad idea.” 

“You’re kidding.” Gladio stood and almost spilled his coffee in the process. “How is a vampire going to become a trucker? You can’t go out in the sun. Makes it kinda hard, don’t it?

“And you have a better idea?” Ignis was feeling frustrated, the conversation looping in on itself. 

“Can we back up about five steps? Who says I am going to come with you in the first place?”

Ignis felt the floor under him shift, and his feet stopped pacing. Of course. They hadn’t yet addressed that. “Alright. Where would you like to begin?”

“Let's start with you and me.” Gladio set his cup down on the table and cleared his throat. 

“Alright. That is a fair place to begin.” Ignis’s fingers went to his glasses, and he straightened them upon his face. “I apologize for the way I acted. I’ve never felt this way and it has made me act irresponsibly. I am uncertain if it is your blood or if it is you. You are worse than any drug, or so I would believe.” 

“I spent the past two months looking for you.” Gladio’s voice was quiet, his face averted. “I’m mad at you, but I also-”

Ignis waited while Gladio struggled for words. He felt them, understood them for he too was angry with himself.

“I also don’t want to stay away from you. I’ve never met anyone like you either. I-” Gladio shuddered, wringing his hands together. “I killed a man for you.” 

“That was no man.” Ignis reassured him, as he moved around the arm chair to be closer to Gladio. “Killing a vampire isn’t the same as killing a human. He had been dead for a long time before you came around. I promise, I will never put you in a position where you will have to do that ever again.  _ If _ you wish to keep me around, that is.” 

Ignis paused, staying two paces away from the other man. If Gladio rejected him, pushed him away, Ignis would let it happen. He didn’t want that, of course, and his hopes were that Gladio did want him. 

“I do want you around.” Gladio said finally, looking up from his hands. Ignis’s body relaxed, a tension that he didn’t know had built between his shoulders and chest. 

“Then you will accept my help?” Ignis spoke, breathlessly. 

“Yes.” Gladio smiled, and the warmth filled him from toes to the tips of his ears. 

Ignis stepped forward, reaching a hand for the other man. “Good. I promise I will not let anything happen to you if I can help it.” 

“And we will be truckers?” Gladio reached out and grabbed Ignis, pulling him closer. He tugged so hard, Ignis collapsed into Gladio’s lap with a huff. “Should I be afraid of you?”

“There is nothing to be afraid of from me.” Ignis felt his body react, the touch softer than the one from hours ago. He didn’t mind being touched, being held. It was a foreign feeling, but one Ignis truly could see himself getting used to. 

“What happens when I get old?” Gladio shifted under him, making himself more comfortable. 

“We can deal with it when the time comes. I think for now we need to focus on getting out of here, safely.” Ignis moved his fingers to Gladio’s face. This near the scent of earth, musk and honey was overwhelming. It felt like Ignis was drowning in everything that was good in the world. 

“Alright.” Gladio cleared his throat, and slid Ignis to the side. “I will see what I can do about getting a sixteen wheeler, or something similar and get a job or something. You, uh, get some rest? Vampires still sleep, right?” 

It was Ignis’s turn to laugh. “Yes, we still sleep.” 

Gladio stood, squeezing Ignis’s hand before moving towards the door. “Call me crazy, but hell. I guess we can do this.” 

“I am putting all my hopes that this will work.” Ignis watched as Gladio slipped into the leather jacket and put the boots back on his feet.

With one backwards look, Gladio was through the door, leaving Ignis to rest in the curtain darkened room. 

~~~~

It was hours later, Ignis was certain of that. He awoke with a start, his eyes immediately adjusting to the darkness. There was a soft rasping at the door, and he was certain that Gladio had left with a key. 

Cautiously, Ignis pulled himself from the couch and onto his feet. The hallway outside the peep hole was light brightly with yellow fluorescent lights. In the sickening hue of the fake illumination, Ignis saw Gentiana. 

Ignis moved back so quickly that he almost toppled over the side table. His heart hammered quickly in his chest and he felt the need to run. Why had he let Gladio wander around by himself? It was only asking for danger, and only just when he had finally gotten him to agree to stay by his side. 

“Ignis?” There was a moment that Ignis didn’t know where the voice was coming from as he had never heard Gentiana speak. Then it hit him. She knew where he was. 

“Open the door, I have something I need to speak with you about.” Her voice was calm, the same calm that Ignis had grown accustomed to with her. 

“Okay.” Ignis resigned, knowing that if Gentiana wanted to she would break the door down and have her way, regardless. He was cornered. 

Ignis unlatched the door, and let it swing inward, freely. The hallway light bled into the room, and Ignis stepped aside to allow the elder vampire inside. Her movements were so fluid that it looked like she was gliding instead of walking. Her eyes remained closed, choosing her other senses over her sight. 

“May I ask how you found me?” Ignis stiffened, closing the door behind him and turning to the woman. 

“It is easy for someone like me.” She paused, turning around slowly. “The others do not know I am here. I have not come as one from the council. I am here because I see in you something I long ago lost.” 

Ignis furrowed his brows, bringing forefinger to the bridge of his glasses once more. “I beg your pardon?”

“Once in a millenia, something happens that is unexplainable. These things that happen to us who can not die of natural causes are something to take note of.” Gentiana, even without opening her eyes, was staring right through him. 

“And what is this unexplainable thing?” Ignis could feel his heart pounding, the ground shifting as he waited for Gentiana to just say what he wanted her to say. 

“How old are you, Ignis?” Gentiana’s voice remained stable, unwavering and calm. 

The question struck Ignis as strange. “I am certain you know my age.” 

“Yes.” Gentiana smiled, the corners of her lips curling upwards. “I would like for you to tell me exactly how old you are.”

Ignis rolled back on his heels, thinking back as best he could. “I believe I am 222 years of age?” The words felt strange on his tongue, and foreign on his lips. “That can’t be right, can it?” 

“I assure you it can.” Gentina’s smile never faltered and it made Ignis question everything, if only for a moment. 

“You should have died two hundred years ago. Ardyn told me all about it. It was a gruesome and tragic death, do you not agree?” 

Ignis felt his skin prick with the memory. He nodded, swallowing hard. “Yes, but what does that have to do with this unexplainable thing?”

“Soul mates, my dear Ignis.” It was only then that Gentiana opened her eyes, green eyes that matched his own staring him down to his very core. “You have found the other half of your soul.The piece of you that completes you.” 

“That is preposterous!” Ignis shook off the comment with a sharp laugh. When Gentiana didn’t falter he looked to the side, abashed. 

“If you had died when your human life was over, you would have never met Gladiolus Amicitia. That is the unexplainable thing I am here to tell you about.” Gentiana took a step forward, producing something in the palm of her hand. “Perhaps in another life you would have found each other, and in another time you would have reconnected. However, you now must make a decision.” 

Ignis’s eyes were drawn to the phial in her hand, the phial fit almost perfectly in her palm. 

“You can live out the rest of Gladio’s life, watching him age as you remain immortal. Your heart can be torn from you as he grows old and weak. Perhaps you live on past him, perhaps not. If you decide to live on without him, you will forever be maimed by losing your other half. 

“Or,” Gentiana placed the phial in Ignis’s hand. The glass was cool to the touch and shimmering silver swirls danced in the maroon colored liquid. “You can live your life with him and you can finally find the rest you were denied so many years ago.”

Ignis was mesmerized by the liquid, uncertain of what he was staring at but being unable to tear his gaze away. Finally, lips dry, Ignis looked up to meet Gentiana’s gaze. “What is it?”

“A cure of sorts, for the plague that infests all of us who are not fully dead nor qualify as alive.” Ignis nodded vaguely, waiting for Gentiana to explain. 

“And this will turn me human?” Ignis could hear his own heart in his chest. The prospect, the mere idea of it was exhilarating. 

Gentiana remained silent for a moment, her eyes closing. “Do you remember when you died? How you changed?” 

Ignis closed his eyes now too, the pain one of those moments that he would never be able to forget even if he wanted to. “What does that have to do with this.” Ignis lifted the phial only slightly, his eyes opening ever so slowly. 

“Returning to the living is similar, if not worse. It is easier to die than it is to be reborn.” Gentiana didn’t move, and the whole room felt like an ice drift had been pushed in between them. “The chances that you would survive are low.” 

There was a metallic noise of a key in a keyhole, and then the door turned. The light from the hallway was once again blinding. Ignis was hit with Gladio’s scent and he felt like, in that moment, everything would be okay. 

“I think I have stayed too long.” Gentiana moved, floating towards the open doorway. “If you decide to accept this option, I will make sure you are not disturbed.”

“Why are you helping me?” Ignis asked, taking a step forward and clutching the tiny glass phial tightly. 

“Because of that one in a million unexplainable thing.” 

Gentiana was gone before Ignis could even let the air escape his lungs. It made almost no sense to Ignis, but in his hand, was the most hope he had ever had. 

“Who was that?” Gladio quickly shut the door, the lock clicking into place. 

“She is one of the Quinctus.” The moment the words left his mouth, Ignis could feel Gladio tensing. “No. She’s not here to take anything from us. On the contrary-”

Ignis stared down at the phial in his palm. Why did he feel like he could trust what Gentiana had said? After all, the council wanted nothing more than to capture them both and study them. Or so that was Ignis’s impression. “She came here to give me a second life.”

Gladio approached cautiously, amber eyes staring down at the shimmering liquid contained within. “And you believe her?”

Ignis waited, humming slightly as he held his breath. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes. I do.” 

“Well.” Gladio straightened up, his aura changing. He shifted from on guard to determined in a blink. “What do we have to do?”

Ignis laughed, the tension in his body disappearing with the other man’s behavior. It had been something he had been drawn to from the start, and even now, it was what made his decision all the easier. “I have to die again to live again.” 

“That doesn’t sound easy.” Gladio’s eyebrow’s hitched in slight confusion. 

“It isn’t, or it won’t be if Gentiana spoke true.” And Ignis truly believed she did. 

~~~~

The next evening, Gentiana found them once more. Since Gladio had cleared out all the things he wanted to keep with him from his apartment, it was time for Ignis to do the same. 

The soft knocking had come only minutes after they had arrived. Gladio was in awe that there was no coffin for Ignis to sleep in and that the apartment was furnished with very little. Ignis’s fingers twitched on the chest they rested upon when his head jerked towards the door. 

Ignis was quicker than Gladio. His emerald eye peeked through the peephole and he let out a long sigh. Without even speaking, the door was unlocked and Gentiana was let in. 

“I assume you are going to take my offer?” The words came from Gentiana the moment the door clicked closed behind her. Her gaze was focused on Gladio, although her eyes remained closed. 

“I was intending on it, yes.” Ignis’s eyes flicked to Gladio for a moment. He had felt the stress the moment the door had closed. 

“I have a place prepared for you that is away from the council’s eyes.” Gentiana didn’t shift or breath more than minimal speech required. She was like a ghost; the perfect embodiment of the undead. 

“Why should we trust you?” Gladio had moved, more silently than Ignis had thought possible. He loomed over Gentiana, and still she neither flinched nor looked at him. 

“Because I have nothing to gain from your death.” Gentiana shifted only then, her eyes opening and looking through the human man trying to intimidate her. “You are but a speck of dust in the stream of my life. I have lived one hundred of your lives and will live one hundred more.” 

The tension was palpable and the temperature dropped. Gladio backed down, looking to Ignis like a dog being disciplined for the first time. 

“If you don’t have any other questions,” Gentiana moved over to the only window in the whole flat, and looked out into the darkness. “Pack quickly and we will be on our way.” 

Ignis didn’t take any time to hesitate. He grabbed the few things of his that he could not live without; the small wooden chest he had been about to grab earlier, several sets of nice clothing, and an old, gold pocket watch with a skull engraved into the glimmering metal. 

“We are yours.” Ignis spoke, bringing the bag over his shoulder with a huff. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had carried with him for two hundred years. 

Gentiana led them through the streets, quickly. For someone who didn’t seem to strike the ground with her feet, she moved swiftly and without a sound. They were soon out of the city limits and moving deeper into a forested pocket of wilderness. 

They walked long into the night and were disturbed by no one. It was surprising, but they didn’t dare speak or look into their surroundings too much for fear of being left behind. 

It wasn’t until the edge of dawn that they came to a dirt trail that was overgrown in patches and hidden from any well worn paths. “Down here you will find a cabin. It is stocked for you and will have all your needs. I will come check on you at weeks end.”

Ignis turned only then to thank the vampire, but she was gone as if she had never been there. For a moment, they were both too surprised to do anything. 

“Shall we? Before the sun comes out?” Gladio was obviously tired as Ignis nodded and took the first step down the path. 

“I wouldn’t want to melt after we have finally gotten to this point.” Ignis smiled, although he knew what was going to happen the moment they were settled in, and he wanted to savour every moment he was sure to have instead of rely on the moments he wasn’t certain he would have. 

~~~~

The sun came up, and they finally managed to let their defenses ease. The cabin was spacious and well cared for, for something so deeply hidden in the wilds. Ignis felt suddenly nervous as Gladio yawned on the couch. 

“I want to enjoy these last moments with you before-” Ignis felt a lump forming in his throat as he tried to speak the unspeakable. 

“Of course.” Gladio didn’t even hesitate as he opened his arms for Ignis to join him sprawled on the sofa.

Ignis let the last breath of uncertainty pass through his lips before slipping into the crevices of Gladio’s body. They were so familiar and welcome that Ignis knew he would never be happy unless this was his forever. They fit perfectly together, eyes on the slowly burning fire in the hearth. 

Time passed slowly, and for that Ignis was thankful. Breathing slowed as they relaxed into each other. They didn’t speak, and Ignis was almost certain Gladio had fallen asleep. 

“Do you have any last requests before you become a human again?” Gladio’s voice was thick and heavy, and promised everything that Ignis didn’t even know he wanted. 

He swallowed and nodded. There was one thing he wanted before he put what little life he had on the line. Ignis shifted, and suddenly he was hovering over Gladio. 

Their bodies were pressed together and Ignis could feel the sudden lust between them as they touched. It was better than any drug, and high that he had ever felt. He shifted again, and his mouth found the plush lips of his partner. 

“You.” Ignis hummed the word into Gladio’s mouth as he imposed a kiss onto the man. Gladio accepted and in moments, they were greedily grabbing at one another. The last hunger pushed through Ignis as he started to pull their clothing from their bodies. 

If this was to be his last, he would make it the best he’d ever had. 

~~~~

Ignis watched as Gladio’s chest rose and fell beside him. It was well into the afternoon and they had thoroughly exhausted themselves. Ignis was glad, and it had been everything he had wanted. 

There was no time for second thought as Ignis rolled the phial between his fingers. He knew if he lay in the warmth of Gladio’s arms too long, he would lose the desire to risk himself. It was now or never. 

The cork in the phial popped the moment Ignis attempted to remove it. The scent was putrid, filling the room with a cloyingly sweet and somewhat rotten scent. Ignis moved the bottle away from himself quickly, trying to force the nausea that it had elicited from him. 

“If I don’t make it out of this,” Ignis looked down at Gladio’s unconscious form with a frown. “You gave me something I have never had before.” 

The liquid tasted worse than it had smelled, and Ignis doubled over as it touched his palette. The first test, it would seem, would be to keep the liquid down.

As the taste festered in his mouth, settling into his stomach, Igis felt it. The slow warmth returning to his body. A fever would overtake him first as his body fought off the parasitic poison twisted into his being. If the fever didn’t kill him, he would become human once more. 

Ignis lay back down next to Gladio, a faint smile etched onto his face even through the after taste of the concoction. If this is how he was to die, it wasn’t so bad after all. 

~~~~

Heat was everything around him. 

_ “Gladio.” _

The words were outside of him, although they were also his own, they did not sound it. Ignis’s eyes forced open and the blurry figures over him meant nothing. 

_ “I’m here. Keep fighting. I’m here.” _

Gladio’s words were comforting as Ignis felt himself falling back into the fever induced sleep that had taken him for only the gods knew how long. 

~~~~

The light was bright and Ignis’s head was splitting open. His mouth felt as if he had been into the desert to drink of the sand. 

_ “Water.”  _ Ignis’s voice sounded less like a stranger, and more like his own, although it still felt outside of the pain and hellish fire burning inside him. 

A glass was brought to his lips as he was propped up.  _ “Drink.” _ Gladio’s voice was cooler and more refreshing than the water that was delicately poured into his mouth and down his throat. 

_ “Thank you.” _

Exhaustion pulled at him, back down into the ever burning darkness. 

~~~~

_ “How long is he going to be like this?” _ The gruff voice sounded so familiar, but Ignis couldn’t place it. 

_ “He is still fighting.” _ Sweet and cool relief in the form of a voice. Gentiana. 

_ “Is that a good thing?” _ Anger and worry that was familiar. 

_ “Yes.” _

~~~~

“Ignis?” 

Ignis felt himself being shifted and a hand being placed onto his forehead. It was warm and cool all at the same time. Ignis tried to open his mouth, but the cotton dryness produced but a single grunt. 

“It's okay. I’m here. I think your fever finally broke.” 

Ignis let out a long, slow breath. He let himself feel, and regretted it immediately. Had he ever been run over by a sixteen wheeled long haul vehicle he was sure this would be what it would feel like. 

“I want,” The words took a long moment to press from his lips, but he was determined.

“Yes?” Gladio eagerly responded, Ignis’s eyes fluttering open. 

“Coffee.” 

The laugh that came from Gladio’s lips was rich and wholesome. Ignis was positive he would never tire of the sound even if they lived a hundred years together. 

“You almost die and your first request is for coffee?” Gladio was looking down at him when the scenery came into focus. 

“I have waited two hundred years without being able to taste a decent cup of coffee. If you only knew the pain.” Ignis could feel his lips curling into a smile as he looked into Gladio’s face. 

“One hot cup of joe coming right up.” 

Ignis smiled as he was layed back down onto the bed, pillows propping him up so that he could see Gladio at work. For a life of eternity, Ignis had risked it all for him. Without knowing the future, Ignis would do it all over again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for getting through the fic and I hope you enjoyed. I had many different endings I wanted planned but I left it ultimately up to my artist (XHidaka). Now that I think about it, I might have to write the other two endings as a Pick your own ending. Well, we can view this as the 'true' happy ending. 
> 
> I appreciate all kudos and respond to all comments. Thank you again and hope you had a good (albiet weird) Halloween 2020!


End file.
